Firewise Communities Program Offers Online Wildfire Safety Toolkit

The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Firewise® Communities Program has published an updated Firewise Toolkit aimed at homeowners and other wildfire stakeholders interested in learning how to reduce wildfire risk. The Toolkit is available online and free of charge.

Every year wildfires burn across the U.S. and more and more people are living where wildfires are an increasing risk. Nearly 45 million homes abut or intermix with grasslands, forests and wildlands and more than 72,000 U.S. communities are located in a wildfire-prone area.

Fortunately, wildfire doesn’t have to destroy everything in its path. Whether it’s homeowners who utilize the checklist to create defensible space around their homes, community members interested in working with their neighbors to establish a recognized Firewise Communities/USA® site or residents looking for steps to take during a wildfire watch or warning, the Toolkit is a collection of resources designed to raise awareness about wildfire safety and provide preparedness steps before a fire threatens neighborhoods.

The Toolkit can be downloaded and shared at meetings, presentations or for individual use and includes the following information:

• A Guide to Firewise Principles

• Firewise Tips Checklist for Homeowners

• Firewise Communities/USA® Recognition Program Checklist

• Firewise Infographic

• Tips Checklist for High Fire and Red Flag Days

Download the entire Toolkit or its individual components at http://www.Firewise.org/toolkit. For more information about the Firewise program, please visit http://www.firewise.org.